Relationship of autistic traits and the severity of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population

Background

The aim of the study was to investigate the level of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic and to detect a possible correlation between the autistic traits and the level of fear and to learn about other factors that may affect the level of fear.

Methods

The study utilised a questionnaire and was conducted online in the period from 16.02.2021 to 11.06.2021. The test group consisted of 214 respondents with an average age of 23.78 years (95%CI: 22.48 - 25.08; max: 61, min: 14) from the general population. The study used The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire to assess the degree of autistic traits in the general population and The Fear of COVID-19 Scale, which was used to assess the level of fear of COVID-19.

Results

Among the respondents, 9 people scored ≥32 on the AQ test and were considered to have a high degree of autistic traits. In multiple regression (R2 = 0.1, p<0.0001), a positive relationship between the severity of fear of COVID-19 and the autistic traits (p=0.01) and age (p<0.001) was obtained. Additionally, a second multiple regression (R2 = 0.1, p<0.000001) including the subscales of AQ was performed and a positive relationship between the severity of fear of COVID-19 and the difficulties in attention switching (p=0.0004) and age (p=0.00001) was obtained.

Conclusion

People with higher autistic traits present greater fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. We suggest that it might be caused by cognitive stiffness and disorders in emotions regulation, according to the literature. The elderly also present higher levels of fear. The other variables did not affect the level of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coping methods among Polish students during Covid-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

The Covid-19 pandemic changed daily routines and forced people to develop various coping methods. University students were a social group that suffered due to a drastic change in their daily routine. The analysis of adaptation to chronic stress may help in developing more individualized care for people affected by it.

METHODS

The examination of coping methods and aggression level was conducted using Brief COPE and STAXI-2 questionnaires on a group of 283 participants, extracted from the initial group of 906 tested students. The study was conducted between the second and the third wave of pandemic in Poland.

RESULTS

The positive coping methods were dominant among the examined group. The most used were active coping, use of informational support and planning. The negative coping methods were inextricably linked to a higher aggression level, and were more prevailing in the female students.

CONCLUSIONS

The first symptoms of maladaptive behaviors may be hidden in presumably usual activities and attitudes. It is important to be aware of them in order to provide support for students and other social groups affected by chronic stress.

Association of OXTR, AVPR1a, LNPEP, and CD38 Genes' Expression with the Clinical Presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social interactions, communication, and behavior. Although the predominant genetic predisposition to ASD seems beyond doubt, its exact nature remains unclear. In the context of social cognition disorders and the basis of ASD, the oxytocinergic and vasopresynergic systems arouse great interest among researchers. The aim of the present study was to analyze gene expression levels for oxytocin and vasopressin receptors, as well as CD38 protein and oxytocinase, in the context of the clinical picture of autism spectrum disorders. The study included 90 people, of whom 63 were diagnosed with ASD based on anamnesis, mental status testing, and the ADOS-2 protocol. The results obtained in the presented study indicate that the balance between the levels of expression of the CD38 gene and the oxytocinase gene plays a key role in the risk and clinical presentation of ASD. In a hypothetical scenario, an imbalance in the expression of CD38 and LNPEP could potentially lead to alterations in the concentrations of oxytocin and vasopressin. At the same time, the most frequently studied genes-AVPR1a and OXTR-seem to be at best of marginal importance for the risk of ASD.

The role of selected polymorphisms in regulation of gene CD38 expression and their effect on the clinical picture of autism spectrum disorders - preliminary study

OBJECTIVES

Clinical effects observed in cases of oxytocin deficiency can also manifest themselves in disorders of mechanisms responsible, for example, for its secretion. For oxytocin, this function is played by - among others - the cluster of differentiation antigen 38 (CD38). Existing literature along with the correlation between protein CD38 and oxytocin secretion raise interest in the context of their possible relation to the clinical picture and development of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of the study was to analyze the correlations between polymorphisms rs3796863 and rs6449197 in gene CD38, the level of gene expression and the clinical picture and the risk of ASD diagnosis.

METHODS

The study included 59 individuals with the mean age of 15.05 years with IQ > 90. The participants were divided into two groups: the studied group consisting of 37 persons with confirmed ASD diagnoses and the control group including 22 neurotypical individuals. Diagnosis verification was carried out via the ADOS-2 protocol.

RESULTS

The comparative analysis with the standardized population based on the 1000Genomes database with the presence of clinically significant intensification of ASD traits showed the correlation of alleles "T" of polymorphisms rs3796863 and rs6449197, which are more frequent in the general population and are treated as "wild". In the inter-group analysis, this type of dependency was weaker, and the genotype of the control group was somehow intermediate between the studied group and the standardized population. In the ΔΔCt analysis, the normalized value of the relative expression level of gene CD38 showed that in the studied group the expression level was around 1.1-1.2 times higher than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The obtained results show that a significant correlation with the severity of autism spectrum disorder traits is mainly observed in the carriers of wild variants of the studied polymorphisms, in which the related increase in the expression level of gene CD38 is also observed.

Predictive efficiency of phoenixin, spexin and kisspeptin neuropeptides concentration levels in diagnosis of bipolar disorder in paediatric population

Cel pracy

Celem badania była ocena stężeń wybranych neuropeptydów : feniksyny, speksyny oraz kisspeptyny w surowicy krwi żylnej dzieci i młodzieży z choroba afektywną dwubiegunową, a tym samym ich skuteczności predykcyjnej w tym zaburzeniu.

Metoda

Materiał i metoda. Badanie objęło 75 osób w wieku średnio 15,26 lat (95%CI: 14.86-15.67 ), z czego grupę badaną stanowiło 57 osób z diagnozą choroby afektywnej dwubiegunowej, a grupę kontrolną - 18 osób bez diagnozy psychiatrycznej i nieleczonych farmakologicznie. Feniksynę, speksynę i kisspeptynę oznaczano w surowicy krwi z żyły obwodowej. Pomiary stężeń neuropeptydów wykonano metodą immunoenzymatyczną ELISA.

Wyniki

Średnie stężenie feniksyny w grupie badanej wynosiło 1,57 ng/ml (95%CI: 1,35-1,79), natomiast w grupie kontrolnej – 2,69 ng/ml (95%CI: 2,38-3; U Mann-Whitney test p-value<0,05). W przypadku speksyny wyniki te wynosiły odpowiednio: 639,65 pg/ml (95%CI: 558,86-720,44) w grupie badanej oraz 354,28 pg/ml (95%CI: 310,33-398,22; U Mann-Whitney test p-value<0,05) w grupie kontrolnej. Obserwowane różnice były istotne statystycznie. W zakresie poziomu kisspeptyny średnie stężenie w grupie badanej wynosiło 126,02 pg/ml (95%CI: 39,82-212,23; mediana: 59,85), zaś w grupie kontrolnej - 54,83 pg/ml (95%CI: 39,23-70,43; mediana: 51,3; U Mann-Whitney test p-value=0,29), a obserwowana różnica nie była istotna statystycznie.

Wnioski

Występowanie objawów choroby afektywnej dwubiegunowej jest w istotny statystycznie sposób powiązane z obniżonym stężeniem PNX oraz w niewielkim stopniu z podwyższonym stężeniem speksyny w surowicy krwi chorych. Nie wykazuje natomiast związku ze stężeniem kisspeptyny.

Vitamin D deficiency and depressive symptoms: meta-analysis of studies

AIM

The aim of this study was the identification and summary of studies examining the relationship between vitamin D levels and the risk of depression and depressive symptoms severity, published between January 2008 and January 2019.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A systematic review of literature published within the last 10 years and accessible in PubMed database was conducted by each author separately based on predetermined inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Out of the 823 studies qualified to the initial abstract analysis, 24 were included into the full-text review and 18 into the meta-analysis. Statistically significant odds ratio was obtained for risk of depression in the course of vitamin D deficiency (OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.4-1.62; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis of available literature seems to indicate that there is an association between risk of depression and vitamin D deficiency. However, current literature does not give the possibility to state explicitly what is the exact mechanism and direction of this dependency.

Systematic Review of Literature on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Within the Oxytocin and Vasopressin Receptor Genes in the Development of Social Cognition Dysfunctions in Individuals Suffering From Autism Spectrum Disorder

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is found in virtually all population groups regardless of ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds. Among others, dominant symptoms of autism persistent throughout its course of development include, inter alia, qualitative disorders of social communication and social interactions. Numerous studies have been performed on animal models as well as groups of healthy individuals to assess the potential role of oxytocinergic and vasopresynergic systems in normal social functioning. These studies have also discussed their potential participation in the development of social cognition dysfunctions in the course of ASD. This literature review aimed to identify studies examining single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptor genes and their differential effects on social cognitive dysfunction in the development of ASD. Methods: A systematic review of literature published within the last 10 years and accessible in PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and APA PsycNET databases was conducted by each author separately. Inclusion criteria required that articles should 1) be published between January 2008 and August 2018; 2) be published in English or Polish; 3) be located in periodical publications; 4) focus on the role of polymorphisms within oxytocin and vasopressin receptor genes in autistic population; 5) provide a clear presentation of the applied methodology; and 6) apply proper methodology. Results: From the 491 studies qualified to the initial abstract analysis, 15 met the six inclusion criteria and were included in the full-text review. Conclusions: The analysis of available literature seems to indicate that there is an association between social cognition dysfunctions in the course of autism and selected alleles of polymorphisms within the OXT receptor AVP 1A receptor genes. However, previous studies neither specify the nature of this association in an unequivocal way nor select genotypes that are the basis for this association.

Social attitude towards mentally ill in comparison to experts' opinions

BACKGROUND

In modern psychiatry, deinstitutionalization of mentally ill became an essential part of improving state of being of those affected. Integration in community, despite obvious benefits, led to increase in social distance and rejection towards mentally ill. Social stigma affects different life domains of those afflicted, and therefore it is crucial to introduce methods to deal with it. Our objective was to assess and compare psychiatrists' and public attitudes and beliefs about mentally ill people.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Comparison of two samples, one including 107 psychiatrists and second including 708 individuals of the general population. Obtained outcomes were collated with similar studies available in literature.

OUTCOMES

The psychiatrists' attitude was more positive in comparison to the general population. Both groups agree that programs raising public awareness are important, and should be intensified. 41% of general population and 13% of respondents from experts' group think of negative associations with mentally ill.

CONCLUSIONS

Conception of utilizing mental health experts as the opinion leaders should be carefully thought through. Although awareness of social distance and stigma improved both among psychiatrists and general population since 2005 (Wciorka & Wciorka 2006, Lauber 2004), still there are areas that needs enhancement. Fear present in both groups, probably caused by inter allia image of mental illness in news reports (Angermeyer 2001), is one of such areas.

Evaluation of the cortisol concentrations in patients with schizophrenia

INTRODUCTION

The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) plays a pivotal role in response to a range of external and internal factors often described as a "stress". Growing evidence in a literature, suggest various dysregulations of HPAA, in course of numerous mental disorders. Patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder seem to have elevated basal cortisol secretion, what might be caused by the diminution of glucocorticoid receptors' amount. It was of the interest if the cortisol concentrations in patients with diagnosed schizophrenia who underwent treatment, differs from healthy individuals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two groups of participants were included into the study. First group (study) consisted of 10 patients with diagnosed schizophrenia and control group which included 38 healthy individuals. Study was divided into two stages, first one (pilot) included only control group, and utilized cortisol concentrations measurement from saliva, blood and 24h urine sample. Second part (main study) involved both groups although focused on a salivary cortisol concentrations.

RESULTS

A mean salivary cortisol concentration in patients with schizophrenia who underwent treatment was significantly lower in comparison with healthy individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Obtained results indicate that patients who underwent a treatment, and does not present notable clinical signs of schizophrenia may have moderately lowered levels of salivary cortisol. This may be a reflection of relenting psychotic symptoms as well as a direct effect of atypical antipsychotic drugs on a HPA axis activity.

Influence of selected factors on development the students' of the biological sciences faculties bioethical attitudes towards experimental animal studies

BACKGROUND

Although it may help to widen our knowledge, conducting experiments with use of animals, is very controversial, especially since the most recent technology enables us to significantly avoid their use. Currently, the European directives require researchers to reduce the using of animals in scientific experiments, but some studies suggest awareness of the problem is still insufficient. Thanks to examining students' attitude towards conducting scientific experiments on animals the authors wanted to discover and mark the most significant factors that might have impact on moulding students' opinions.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

217 subjects participated in the study. They were students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Silesian Medical University in Katowice and students of the Biology & Biotechnology Faculty at the University of Silesia. A proprietary questionnaire sent via the Internet was used. The authors created specific ratios and numeral 5-grade Likert-type scale showing the behavioural, cognitive and affective component of the respondents' attitudes on the issue being studied. It contained among other things the questions such as granting animals personality, consciousness, and the right to life. The method used allowed the investigators to show the general trends of all the studied responses and therefore the compilation of results.

RESULTS

The study showed that the attitude of respondents on studied subject undergoes some changes related to gender. Furthermore, the results did not depend with statistical significance on previous experience in conducting such experiments, religious belief of respondent, his or her parents type and level of education. It also showed the that students had little knowledge about current animal protection law and alternative methods to animal research.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show the complexity and multiplicity of factors influencing the attitudes of bioethics and point to the need to deepen our knowledge in the studied area.

Factors influencing the levels of work engagement in physicians from Poland, Serbia and Bulgaria

INTRODUCTION

Lowered work engagement and burnout are a growing problem in recent years, especially among physicians. Cynicism, lack of energy and decreased efficacy may lead to the occurrence of severe depression. These phenomena influence almost every aspect of affected person's life, both professional and extraprofessional, and decrease its quality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of family life and other factors on levels of work engagement and risk of depression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our study was conducted on a group of 417 physicians from Poland, Serbia and Bulgaria using a paper questionnaire. The collected data was subjected to statistical analyses using Statsoft Statistica v. 10.0 software.

RESULTS

There was no significant correlation between work engagement and sex or age. The highest score on work engagement was in Serbia (m=4.41; Mann-Whitney's U test with p<0.05). The highest score of BDI was in Bulgaria (m=14.73; Mann-Whitney's U test with p<0.05). There was no significant correlation exceeding r=0.5 between UWES and SWING scales. WHI+/WHI- ratio correlates significantly with a BDI scale (Spearman's r=-0.49; p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Family life of physicians seem to have minor or even no influence on their work engagement and risk of burnout. The negative influence of work on family life may increase the risk of depression, and that effect is not susceptible to either positive or negative interactions of family life with work. The country with the lowest expenditure on a healthcare have also the lowest levels of work engagement.